The hips are the real power-center of the body. The hip hinge is the forceful straightening/extending of the hips.
You do a form of hip hinge every time you squat, deadlift, run, sprint, etc. Almost every powerful movement of the body originates with a form of hip hinge.
(As a side note, you don't really do it when walking slowly as you're not forcefully propelling yourself forward, just kind of swinging your leg forward with each step).
This version of the kettlebell swing is NOT a beginner variation. Therefore, I'm not going to go into the mechanics of a swing here. If you're experienced enough to actually do this exercise, you should know how to do a proper swing already.
This swing is going to be done with two kettlebells, but just swinging one up at a time, alternating with each swing.
The coordination is more complex, which is why you MUST already have good hip-hinge mechanics to start with. A good hip hinge should be second nature to you, so you can focus on the alternating action of the kettlebells.
This exercise is actually a lot of fun. It develops the posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, lower back, etc.) and the anti-rotational, deep muscles of the core (internal and external obliques and transvsersus), due to the cross-tension delivered through the midsection on each swing.
In addition, it also develops your MIND.
The cross-action of the arms and through the muscles of the posterior chain (even though your legs aren't moving, those muscles are firing), means the nervous system signals are constantly crossing, similar to crawling.
That makes this exercise excellent as a warm-up movement to get your nervous system activated for training...it also targets the entire back of your body, your shoulders, and your core (this is VERY important because it helps squeeze the blood out of sequestration/storage in your abdomen...a little-known but extremely important function of warming up).
How To Do Alternating One Arm Kettlebell Swings...
Grab a pair of kettlebells. I'm using a pair of 53 lb kettlebells to demonstrate. Hold them at your sides. Stand with your feet VERY close together (as in almost touching). It's important to minimize the "profile" of your legs so that you don't hit them with the kettlebells.
Now, I'm going to show you still pictures of this exercise, but I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend you watch the video for this exercise, if you want to try it. It's a dynamic movement...and it would be like learning how to swing a golf club by looking at pictures.
The first few swings are just going to get the kettlebells moving. Take a small backswing with the right one.
Snap the hips forward and swing it up.
Come up to just about shoulder height...no need to have it come up any higher.
Here's where it gets a bit tricky.
On the way down with the right kettlebell, start the backswing with the LEFT kettlebell.
The idea here is that as you backswing the left kettlebell, it's endpoint matches the backswing of the right kettlebell as it's coming back down from the full swing.
(As I mentioned above, watch the video...it's hard to explain in words and still pictures, so I understand how hard it is to "get" exactly what I'm talking about).
Now snap the hips forward and swing the LEFT kettlebell up.
You'll notice the right one may still come forward a bit. It's basically just along for the ride, since you're not actively swinging it up.
Now again, as the left one is coming down, the right one is going into a backswing.
Then you snap the hips forward and swing the right one up. In this pic, you'll see the left one didn't actually come forward very much at all, which is fine.
Then just repeat the "cycling" of the swings.
Keep going until you feel you've had enough.
I know that's a bit vague, but it's really the best guideline I can give you. This one isn't about maxing out weight or doing a certain number of reps. It's about getting the desired "feel" out of the movement.
Honestly, you may even find that your coordination stops you before muscle fatigue does. Your brain just runs out of energy to coordinate the movement. If that's the case, this exercise is going to be an EXCELLENT one for helping you develop your nervous system work capacity.
If you don't have kettlebells, you can also use weight plates (especially ones that have handles cut out of them). You COULD potentially use dumbbells, but there is a greater risk of you hitting yourself in the leg with them as they pass your body. If you do use dumbbells, keep your feet and legs pressed tightly together to minimize this risk.
If you do decide to give this one a try, DEFINITELY WATCH THE VIDEO. It's short...literally just 2 minutes...and it'll help you get a much better feel for the exercise.
If you like unique swings like this, definitely try Kettlebell Gorilla Swings as well.
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Want more unique and challenging exercises to work your entire body with simple equipment? All you need is just a barbell, dumbbells and a bench. Check out The Best Home Gym Exercises You've Never Heard Of!
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